About a tenday after you deliver the journal to the Cartophile you receive an invitation to meet him in his Upper City offices the following morning. The form of the invitation is clear, you’ve all seen it before; he has a job for you.
“The final details are in place!” He says, once you’ve all assembled. The gnome is more excited than you’ve ever seen him. More animated, brimming with pent up energy. “I know know the full path Kwalish’s expedition took. Starting with the shore where their ship wrecked and ending high in the Mistcliff! My most trusted, most successful retainers, I need you to see this through for me! It is time you went to Chult!”
The Cartophile has been obsessed with Kwalish's ill-fated expedition in search of Daoine Gloine, a legendary city said to be populated by creatures of glass. Finally, he had the what he'd been searching for his entire life.
You spend the next tenday preparing for your journey. Finishing your business in Baldur’s Gate and setting your affairs in order for an extended absence from the Sword Coast. Word of your mission to find the lost expedition of Kwalish spreads, and anyone who knows (or thinks they know) anything about Kwalish or the location of his expedition happily tells you their theories.
On the day of your departure you meet the Cartophile at the docks in front of an impressive 60 foot sloop, clearly built for speed. Single masted, flying a square mainsail with two triangular foresails, one aft sail and a small topsail. The ship bears the name Brazan Pegasus on its hull and is captained by a calm and clever gnome named Ortimay Swift and Dark. You enter the Chionthar River with a varied group of merchant and fishing vessels, all going about their separate business. It isn’t until the Pegasus leaves the mouth of the river into the Sea of Swords and the strong winds blowing south along the Sword Coast that you see just how fast the Pegasus is. Clearly Anaxi spared no expense.
While Ortimay obviously rules the ship, discipline is kept by her first mate, a hulking Illuskan named Grig Ruddell, whose face is almost hidden by a heavy beard streaked with gray. Other than barking orders at the crew and conversing in low tones with Captain Ortimay, Ruddell barely speaks. The ship’s crew consists of six sailors, all skilled at what they do. With the fine weather and a well matched ship and crew you make great time.
Over the next two tendays of travel you get some time to talk with the crew, many of whom are native to Chult. Over mugs of tej, a fermented honey drink, the sailors pass on what they know of the area you’ll be traveling through.
Nearing the end of the seafaring portion of your journey, the vast peninsula of Chult comes into view. Sandy beaches dotted with giant turtles give way to dense jungles. Occasionally you look shoreward to see massive behemoths lumbering along the shore. Bipedal, quadrupedal, some horned or clawed, others heavily armored. The Chultan sailors refer to them with reverence, “Ubtao’s Children” they whisper, but say little more.
Then you see it. The Mistcliff. Sandy beaches give way to volcanic cliffs, rising out of the sea, towering above you. For two hundred miles the Mistcliff looms, a thousand feet of cragged black rock, dotted with far-up settlements of aarakocra, harpies, or huge leathery-winged beasts with beaks as big as wagons. A constant boil of fog falls from the top of the cliffs, to be swept away in wisps by the sea winds.
“We’re almost to your landing,” Ortimay says after days of travel beneath the Mistcliff. The cliff has slowly slipped back into the jungle floor and you anchor off a slip of sand bordered by thick foliage. An ancient, coral covered wreck lies below the clear blue water just off the beach. “There’s no cove, so we’ll drop anchor and row you ashore.” She smiles warmly, opening a small, solid box. Inside is an eye-sized crystal sphere, streaked with shimmering energy. Handing one of you the box she says, “When you’ve found what you’re looking for and are back on this beach just smash the orb. We’ll finish up what we’re doing and be back here within a tenday or so.”
Seeing you eyeing the wreck Ortimay adds, “That thing’s been picked clean many times over, no need to bother yourselves with it. Anything that might have been there’s long since been looted.” With a wink she adds, “Or is being hoarded by them sea hags.”
Your gear is loaded onto a pair of skiffs. You split yourselves between the skiffs, along with a single crew member per vessel, and are rowed to shore.
You stand on a thin ribbon of white sand, bordered by thick jungle to the east and the rising Mistcliff to the north. The calls of parrots and monkeys echo from the jungle, punctuated occasionally by the far-off bellow of something larger. The weather is clear, the sun beating down on you viciously, but you can see clouds building over the inland jungle. If everything you’ve heard of Chult is true you’re likely to see a lot of rain, in spite of the sweltering heat.
In the Cartophile's voice... "I know know the full path Kwalish’s expedition took. Starting with the shore where their ship wrecked and ending high in the Mistcliff!"
He glances around, wondering just what they had gotten themselves into this time.
De'ran closes his eyes and inhales deeply. The sounds of the jungle animals fill him with joy and reverence. He's been in the towns, villages and cities along the Storm Coast for so long now that he's almost forgotten what its like to be outside of civilization. But once he smells the air, the sand, the trees.. De'ran bends to one knee and grabs a bit of sand. He lets it fall from his fingers and starts to draw symbols in the sand. He prays softly. "Show LE the MeN."He rises back to his feet and looks to the others. "Shall we?"
"Ugh. Thank goodness we're finally off the water and on land." Aerin will then look up and down the coast, then into the jungle, taking in this new location. "This is Mistcliff huh? One of the sailors said there's a monastery of criminals hidden around here somewhere."
"Daoine Gloine" De'ran says. "The legendary city is what we're here for. If you're no fan of being out on the water, I hope you like jungles. Because we're going to be in a really big one for a while." He smiles as he starts walking from the beach towards the jungle.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
Thorin once on dry land looks around and finally says: "Thanks be to Moradin we are back on dry land. A dwarf is not meant to travel the seas! Where to now?"
Checking through the notes and maps it is clear that Kwalish's expedition traveled north from here and into the jungle, along the backside of the mountains that make up the Mistcliff. The notes describe certain signs and landmarks you should be able to follow. The first destination you're supposed to document is a wild temple to nature where Kwalish's group purportedly spent a night.
Anyone who wants to help navigate please roll Survival checks. Anyone who would like to do something else while you travel (keep an eye out for danger, forage for rare plants, sing a traveling song, etc) tell me what you're doing and roll an appropriate check.
After hearing the rumors of Fey woods surrounding the foothills of the Barrier Peaks and a dryad queen buried there and guarded by sprites Thorin is keeping an eye on the surroundings
"discretion may be the be'er par' of valor 'are." Sparks says in a dwarven male's voice. "Keep it down! Not everyone is... Accepting of outside meddling." In a soft an feminine voice, voice done in a harsh stage whisper. "Stealth..." In a different male dwarf's voice. "be our ally on this journey." In the same dwarf voice as the last.
So saying Sparks will summon Flutter, his black tressym appearing near him, then flying off into the forest to scout the path ahead. Sparks will also try to move quietly and scout the path forward ahead of the group.
You all head off the beach and into the jungle, following the directions provided by the Cartophile. The going is easy enough at first, but the vegetation grows thicker and thicker as you go. With the occasional report from Flutter, scouting ahead, De'ran is able to navigate it easily enough, guiding the party around impassible sections while keeping them on track. Sparks melts into the underbrush keeping the party in view but staying quiet and unseen. Harbek, Garick, and Aerin trudge along, ducking under vines and hopping over protruding roots. Aerin at one point notices that Sparks is missing and calls out. The Kenku pokes his beak out from the bushes not but a few feet away and mimic's the sound of a child laughing, clearly enjoying how invisible he'd become. Aerin attempts to walk more quietly himself, but can't seem to keep the branches from snapping under his feet.
It goes much like this for the first two days. The thick canopy overhead has blocked much of the sunlight you would normally expect, but on the third day the forest feels darker. Thorin, notices first, looking around and seeing that the jungle is full of webs, growing thicker and thicker above them to the point they block much of the light that would have otherwise reached the jungle floor. Around mid-day Flutter races back to the group just as you break into a small clearing with a lone tree in the center.
You almost don't notice, she blends in so well, but standing next to the tree is a woman. She appears elven, clothed in a green hooded robe, and rests one hand on the trunk of the tree. The other she raises up to you in greeting. The woman looks at you with dull green eyes, and frowns. She begins to speak, and her voice is dry and crackling, like the sound of dozens of fallen leaves being stepped upon in unison. “I have been tasked to deliver a message to creatures of power and honor. You seem to have more honor than all others I have seen recently, so you will suffice. A spider-shepherd has come to this forest and captured a dragon named Estival. He begs your aid.” The woman turns around to the northwest and points through the trees to a web-covered cave mouth. “That is where he is trapped. If you have love of justice or love of treasure in your hearts, Estival entreats you to save him.”
Harbek hears the words but keeps his halberd ready. “I hear tell of criminals making their home in these parts... it’s easy to try and tug on the heartstrings for a chance to ambush the just. How should I know if you’re telling the truth?”
(Can I tell if this guy is being honest? Insight 23 )
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
De'ran cocks his head to the side and almost stares at the woman. For a moment she reminds him of his mother and he is lost in this instance. He wants to believe everything she says and wants to accept the job on behalf of the party. But just as quickly, he comes to his senses.
Aerin is a little spooked by the sudden appearance of this woman, not noticing at first. He then looks around to see if anything/anyone else is in the vicinity behind and around them
Harbek and De'ran, you both notice that this is not an elf after all, but a dryad. The hooded robe is not a robe at all, the nature spirit spirit is wreathed in leaves and vines, as if they were growing from her. Her concern seems genuine and her words are completely without deception.
Aerin, you see nothing but spider webs and jungle.
Flutter peers into the pitch-black cave and sees that it is festooned with webbing, on the floors, wall and ceiling. The cave appears to be a tunnel, curving down and deeper into the mountain.
"Please," the Dryad says, "Estival and his flock depend on you." With that she turns and walks directly into the tree trunk, disappearing as she melts into the wood.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sparks speaks up...
"love of treasure..." In the driad's chrunching-leaf voice. "shall we..." In de'ren's voice.
Sparks looks around at the group with a cocked eyebrow. he clearly is more excited than worried about the tunnel. Moving to the mouth of the cave, he sends Flutter in deeper, having the tressym fly 100 feet ahead, to see what is there.
Flutter perception: 18
Sparks prepared action: Summon flutter back to him if anything threatens the tressym. (Send it to it's extra planar home, then back to his side.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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About a tenday after you deliver the journal to the Cartophile you receive an invitation to meet him in his Upper City offices the following morning. The form of the invitation is clear, you’ve all seen it before; he has a job for you.
“The final details are in place!” He says, once you’ve all assembled. The gnome is more excited than you’ve ever seen him. More animated, brimming with pent up energy. “I know know the full path Kwalish’s expedition took. Starting with the shore where their ship wrecked and ending high in the Mistcliff! My most trusted, most successful retainers, I need you to see this through for me! It is time you went to Chult!”
The Cartophile has been obsessed with Kwalish's ill-fated expedition in search of Daoine Gloine, a legendary city said to be populated by creatures of glass. Finally, he had the what he'd been searching for his entire life.
You spend the next tenday preparing for your journey. Finishing your business in Baldur’s Gate and setting your affairs in order for an extended absence from the Sword Coast. Word of your mission to find the lost expedition of Kwalish spreads, and anyone who knows (or thinks they know) anything about Kwalish or the location of his expedition happily tells you their theories.
On the day of your departure you meet the Cartophile at the docks in front of an impressive 60 foot sloop, clearly built for speed. Single masted, flying a square mainsail with two triangular foresails, one aft sail and a small topsail. The ship bears the name Brazan Pegasus on its hull and is captained by a calm and clever gnome named Ortimay Swift and Dark.
You enter the Chionthar River with a varied group of merchant and fishing vessels, all going about their separate business. It isn’t until the Pegasus leaves the mouth of the river into the Sea of Swords and the strong winds blowing south along the Sword Coast that you see just how fast the Pegasus is. Clearly Anaxi spared no expense.
While Ortimay obviously rules the ship, discipline is kept by her first mate, a hulking Illuskan named Grig Ruddell, whose face is almost hidden by a heavy beard streaked with gray. Other than barking orders at the crew and conversing in low tones with Captain Ortimay, Ruddell barely speaks. The ship’s crew consists of six sailors, all skilled at what they do. With the fine weather and a well matched ship and crew you make great time.
Over the next two tendays of travel you get some time to talk with the crew, many of whom are native to Chult. Over mugs of tej, a fermented honey drink, the sailors pass on what they know of the area you’ll be traveling through.
Nearing the end of the seafaring portion of your journey, the vast peninsula of Chult comes into view. Sandy beaches dotted with giant turtles give way to dense jungles. Occasionally you look shoreward to see massive behemoths lumbering along the shore. Bipedal, quadrupedal, some horned or clawed, others heavily armored. The Chultan sailors refer to them with reverence, “Ubtao’s Children” they whisper, but say little more.
Then you see it. The Mistcliff. Sandy beaches give way to volcanic cliffs, rising out of the sea, towering above you. For two hundred miles the Mistcliff looms, a thousand feet of cragged black rock, dotted with far-up settlements of aarakocra, harpies, or huge leathery-winged beasts with beaks as big as wagons. A constant boil of fog falls from the top of the cliffs, to be swept away in wisps by the sea winds.
“We’re almost to your landing,” Ortimay says after days of travel beneath the Mistcliff. The cliff has slowly slipped back into the jungle floor and you anchor off a slip of sand bordered by thick foliage. An ancient, coral covered wreck lies below the clear blue water just off the beach. “There’s no cove, so we’ll drop anchor and row you ashore.” She smiles warmly, opening a small, solid box. Inside is an eye-sized crystal sphere, streaked with shimmering energy. Handing one of you the box she says, “When you’ve found what you’re looking for and are back on this beach just smash the orb. We’ll finish up what we’re doing and be back here within a tenday or so.”
Seeing you eyeing the wreck Ortimay adds, “That thing’s been picked clean many times over, no need to bother yourselves with it. Anything that might have been there’s long since been looted.” With a wink she adds, “Or is being hoarded by them sea hags.”
Your gear is loaded onto a pair of skiffs. You split yourselves between the skiffs, along with a single crew member per vessel, and are rowed to shore.
You stand on a thin ribbon of white sand, bordered by thick jungle to the east and the rising Mistcliff to the north. The calls of parrots and monkeys echo from the jungle, punctuated occasionally by the far-off bellow of something larger. The weather is clear, the sun beating down on you viciously, but you can see clouds building over the inland jungle. If everything you’ve heard of Chult is true you’re likely to see a lot of rain, in spite of the sweltering heat.
Sparks speaks up...
In the Cartophile's voice... "I know know the full path Kwalish’s expedition took. Starting with the shore where their ship wrecked and ending high in the Mistcliff!"
He glances around, wondering just what they had gotten themselves into this time.
De'ran closes his eyes and inhales deeply. The sounds of the jungle animals fill him with joy and reverence. He's been in the towns, villages and cities along the Storm Coast for so long now that he's almost forgotten what its like to be outside of civilization. But once he smells the air, the sand, the trees.. De'ran bends to one knee and grabs a bit of sand. He lets it fall from his fingers and starts to draw symbols in the sand. He prays softly. "Show LE the MeN." He rises back to his feet and looks to the others. "Shall we?"
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
"Ugh. Thank goodness we're finally off the water and on land." Aerin will then look up and down the coast, then into the jungle, taking in this new location. "This is Mistcliff huh? One of the sailors said there's a monastery of criminals hidden around here somewhere."
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
"Daoine Gloine" De'ran says. "The legendary city is what we're here for. If you're no fan of being out on the water, I hope you like jungles. Because we're going to be in a really big one for a while." He smiles as he starts walking from the beach towards the jungle.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Thorin once on dry land looks around and finally says: "Thanks be to Moradin we are back on dry land. A dwarf is not meant to travel the seas! Where to now?"
Checking through the notes and maps it is clear that Kwalish's expedition traveled north from here and into the jungle, along the backside of the mountains that make up the Mistcliff. The notes describe certain signs and landmarks you should be able to follow. The first destination you're supposed to document is a wild temple to nature where Kwalish's group purportedly spent a night.
Anyone who wants to help navigate please roll Survival checks. Anyone who would like to do something else while you travel (keep an eye out for danger, forage for rare plants, sing a traveling song, etc) tell me what you're doing and roll an appropriate check.
Aerin will keep an eye out in the general vicinity for any threats or other general creatures/people
Perception: 13
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
De'ran being more comfortable in this climate and surroundings than he believes the others to be, will help to navigate at the head of the party.
Survival 13
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
After hearing the rumors of Fey woods surrounding the foothills of the Barrier Peaks and a dryad queen buried there and guarded by sprites Thorin is keeping an eye on the surroundings
perception: 16
Harbek checks the straps on his pack and starts leading the way Sparks pointed out.
Paladin - warforged - orange
Sparks speks up...
"discretion may be the be'er par' of valor 'are." Sparks says in a dwarven male's voice.
"Keep it down! Not everyone is... Accepting of outside meddling." In a soft an feminine voice, voice done in a harsh stage whisper.
"Stealth..." In a different male dwarf's voice.
"be our ally on this journey." In the same dwarf voice as the last.
So saying Sparks will summon Flutter, his black tressym appearing near him, then flying off into the forest to scout the path ahead. Sparks will also try to move quietly and scout the path forward ahead of the group.
Sparks Stealth: 25
Perception: 8
Flutter perception: 24
Aerin will stick behind Harbek and be more stealthy if it looks like thats what the rest of the party is doing:
Stealth: 5
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
You all head off the beach and into the jungle, following the directions provided by the Cartophile. The going is easy enough at first, but the vegetation grows thicker and thicker as you go. With the occasional report from Flutter, scouting ahead, De'ran is able to navigate it easily enough, guiding the party around impassible sections while keeping them on track. Sparks melts into the underbrush keeping the party in view but staying quiet and unseen. Harbek, Garick, and Aerin trudge along, ducking under vines and hopping over protruding roots. Aerin at one point notices that Sparks is missing and calls out. The Kenku pokes his beak out from the bushes not but a few feet away and mimic's the sound of a child laughing, clearly enjoying how invisible he'd become. Aerin attempts to walk more quietly himself, but can't seem to keep the branches from snapping under his feet.
It goes much like this for the first two days. The thick canopy overhead has blocked much of the sunlight you would normally expect, but on the third day the forest feels darker. Thorin, notices first, looking around and seeing that the jungle is full of webs, growing thicker and thicker above them to the point they block much of the light that would have otherwise reached the jungle floor. Around mid-day Flutter races back to the group just as you break into a small clearing with a lone tree in the center.
You almost don't notice, she blends in so well, but standing next to the tree is a woman. She appears elven, clothed in a green hooded robe, and rests one hand on the trunk of the tree. The other she raises up to you in greeting. The woman looks at you with dull green eyes, and frowns. She begins to speak, and her voice is dry and crackling, like the sound of dozens of fallen leaves being stepped upon in unison. “I have been tasked to deliver a message to creatures of power and honor. You seem to have more honor than all others I have seen recently, so you will suffice. A spider-shepherd has come to this forest and captured a dragon named Estival. He begs your aid.” The woman turns around to the northwest and points through the trees to a web-covered cave mouth. “That is where he is trapped. If you have love of justice or love of treasure in your hearts, Estival entreats you to save him.”
Harbek hears the words but keeps his halberd ready. “I hear tell of criminals making their home in these parts... it’s easy to try and tug on the heartstrings for a chance to ambush the just. How should I know if you’re telling the truth?”
(Can I tell if this guy is being honest? Insight 23 )
Paladin - warforged - orange
De'ran cocks his head to the side and almost stares at the woman. For a moment she reminds him of his mother and he is lost in this instance. He wants to believe everything she says and wants to accept the job on behalf of the party. But just as quickly, he comes to his senses.
Insight to see if she's telling the truth: 14
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Aerin is a little spooked by the sudden appearance of this woman, not noticing at first. He then looks around to see if anything/anyone else is in the vicinity behind and around them
Perception: 7
Lost Mine of Phandelver - Dungeon Master
Sparks sends his familiar into the tunnel mouth to see what it can see...
Flutter perception: 21
Harbek and De'ran, you both notice that this is not an elf after all, but a dryad. The hooded robe is not a robe at all, the nature spirit spirit is wreathed in leaves and vines, as if they were growing from her. Her concern seems genuine and her words are completely without deception.
Aerin, you see nothing but spider webs and jungle.
Flutter peers into the pitch-black cave and sees that it is festooned with webbing, on the floors, wall and ceiling. The cave appears to be a tunnel, curving down and deeper into the mountain.
"Please," the Dryad says, "Estival and his flock depend on you." With that she turns and walks directly into the tree trunk, disappearing as she melts into the wood.
Sparks speaks up...
"love of treasure..." In the driad's chrunching-leaf voice.
"shall we..." In de'ren's voice.
Sparks looks around at the group with a cocked eyebrow. he clearly is more excited than worried about the tunnel. Moving to the mouth of the cave, he sends Flutter in deeper, having the tressym fly 100 feet ahead, to see what is there.
Flutter perception: 18
Sparks prepared action: Summon flutter back to him if anything threatens the tressym. (Send it to it's extra planar home, then back to his side.)